Hyperadrenocorticism most commonly occurs due to excessive adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) output from the pituitary gland or overproduction of cortisol by an adrenocortical tumor. It can also be caused by the administration of pharmacological doses of glucocorticoids. These are dogs with chronic pruritic (itching) problems of the skin. One of the noticeable signs of this disorder is increased body size. It is most commonly seen in middle-aged and older dogs. This disease can be found with cats but it is a rare occurrence. True obesity occurs in about 50% of the cases. It is really helpful to put the animal on a natural raw food diet, and start a proper detoxification program.